In-lecture media use and academic performance: Does subject area matter?

• Published in: Computers in human behavior Vol. 77; pp. 86 - 94
• Main Authors: le Roux, Daniel B., Parry, Douglas A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elmsford Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Academic performance; Cognitive control; Influence; Media; Media multitasking; Multitasking; Smartphones; Students; Subject area; Tablet computers; University students; South Africa; Media multitasking; Subject area; Cognitive control; Academic performance
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.030

The current generation of university students display an increasing propensity for media multitasking behaviour with digital devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. A growing body of empirical evidence has shown that this behaviour is associated with reduced academic performance. In this study it is proposed that the subject area within which an individual is situated may influence the relationship between media multitasking and academic performance. This proposition is evaluated, firstly, by means of a meta-review of prior studies in this area and, secondly, through a survey-based study of 1678 students at a large university in South Africa. Our findings suggest that little or no attention has been paid to variations between students from different subject areas in previous work and, based on our data, that subject area does influence the relationship between media use and academic performance. The study found that while a significant negative correlation exists between in-lecture media use and academic performance for students in the Arts and Social Sciences, the same pattern is not observable for students in the faculties of Engineering, Economic and Management Sciences, and Medical and Health Sciences. •Media use (MU) and academic performance (AP) studies omit subject area comparison.•Sample populations tend to be biased toward social science programs.•Data show differences in the type and frequency of MU across subject areas.•Differences between MU and AP correlations were found for different subject areas.•MU is a stronger predictor of AP for students in the soft sciences.